Middle Orient

Syrian govt to decide on new round of negotiations

The Syrian government has not decided yet whether to take part in a second round of peace talks tentatively scheduled for next week, a senior official said. A tumultuous week of negotiations in the Swiss city of Geneva last month between President Bashar Assad’s government and the main Western-backed

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Russian FM meets Syrian National Coalition

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has met a delegation headed by the leader of the opposition Syrian National Coalition, Ahmed al-Jarba, in Moscow. The two sides discussed an outline for a potential transitional government in Syria. Lavrov said all parties should get more involved in exchanging dialogue with each other.

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Syrian airstrike kills at least 18 in Aleppo on Monday

The Syrian government extended its intense aerial campaign against rebel-held areas of the northern city of Aleppo on Monday, conducting a series of airstrikes that killed at least 18 people, including five children, activists said. President Bashar Assad’s air force has pounded opposition areas of the divided city since mid-December, …

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Ban Ki-moon urges more speed on eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday said the operation to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons programme is “now behind schedule” despite Damascus’ ability to speed up the process. Ban told the Security Council in a report that “while remaining aware of the challenging security situation, it is the assessment”

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